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In the September/October '96 issue, DRUM! Magazine reviewed the latest incarnation of the Valje conga drum legacy, which is now manufactured by LP. It mentioned a San Francisco drum artisan who had previously owned the company and whose factory burned to the ground. The craftsman the article referred to is Akbar Moghaddam, who is still a San Francisco native and has re-emerged with a new brand of handmade conga drums named Sol Percussion.
Both before and after his Valje period, Moghaddam worked at a well-known San Francisco drum shop repairing various manufacturers' drums. During this time he had the opportunity to evaluate (and improve on) the designs of numerous manufacturers. Also, during his manufacturing hiatus he began having customized machinery built so that he could launch another new line of drums. Today he builds his new line in a warehouse in San Francisco, which combines these improvements with superior craftsmanship and materials. The result is significant.
I got my hands on four drums -a 10-1/2" quinto, 11-1/4" conga, 12" tumba and 13" super tumba - and tested them in two live-performance environments as well as a studio session. One of the first things I noticed about their overall design is that they lack a full belly and instead have fairly straight sides. This made me think that they may not be capable of delivering a warm, full-bodied resonant tone, but my assumption couldn't have been more wrong. This is actually the area where these drums perform dramatically better than any drum that I have played (that is still in production). Sol congas are amazingly melodic, both in live performance and in recording environments. Their unique shape was co-designed with the help of San Francisco drummer John Santos in an effort to improve two things: 1) an easier drums to hold and maneuver between your legs, and 2) a smaller "footprint" so that four drums could fit in about the same space as three conventionally-shaped drums. Both ideas work. The shells are constructed from a choice of either red or black oak - the red being slightly more costly.
To design the hardware, Moghaddam studied and improved on all the drums that he had to fix over the years. The lugs, hoops and mounting brackets are all hand-made from cold-rolled steel pressed through various bizarre bending apparatuses to maintain the structural integrity of the original material. The mounting brackets are attached with two screws at the bottom of a round bracket, which gives them vastly improved strength. The rims are curved - which is an improvement in my book over the standard, sharply-edged Cuban style rim.
Enough of the specs. Drums are about making music (insert favorite drummer joke here) and these drums are very musical. I played them in a jazz quartet (classical/flamenco guitar, bass, keyboards and percussion) that relies on congas for its rhythmic foundation. In this environment all aspects of the drums' sound (slap, open closed, etcetera) were impressive and offered a lot of melodic information. In fact, when we recorded the band, I found myself paying close attention to the drums' tuning and melodic placement because they delivered such a resonant tone. I used two miking techniques, a close placement (U87) and ambient placement (Crown PZM), and found that the drums delivered well in both situations.
Next I moved to a more aggressive ensemble. I have to admit, this is where I began to miss the extra edge that my fiberglass-shell congas could give me for louder passages. The sound of the slaps was less sharp, with a much more woody, rounded tone. Much of this could have had to do with the head selection - I usually have a thinner, translucent head on my non-wood congas. However, with careful miking and EQ, this problem can be easily dealt with.
San Francisco has been rich with drum manufacturers over the years, including Fat Congas (which I guess now would be called "Phat"), King Congas and others. While most have come and gone, Moghaddam has remained through many incarnations. His latest efforts prove that his brand of great craftsmanship is still available for those who are willing to look for it.
Sol Percussion has delivered a superbly-crafted line of drums that sound beautiful and will no doubt last many lifetimes. I've been looking for a used pair of "vintage" Valjes for a while, but am confident that these drums might even exceed the excellence found in those legendary drums.
Ratings:  5 = Excellent, 4 = Very Good, 3 = Good, 2 = Fair, 1= Poor.
Sound:	5
Shell Construction:	5
Appearance:	4.5
Value:	5
Hardware:	5
Finish:	4.5
Overall Rating:	4.83
SPECS: Sizes: 10-1/2', 11-1/4", 12", 13"; Shells: Available in either red or black oak. Hardware: All hardware is cold-rolled steel and powder coated. Curved hoop. Heads: Rawhide.